SEQUEL: TWENTY-TWO

Alina spent two more days at the cozy apartment on Yellowhaven street before going to pay a visit to Roman, it was going to be short visit and then she would go right to Madeline to make up. Their fight had already gone on too long, and she didn’t like that she couldn’t just call up Madeline and speak to her. She had to physically stop herself from doing just that over and over again over the week.
For the first time all week, she dressed in something more similar to what she usually did. A backless black minidress with matching sandal heels, her hair left down in thick bouncy waves.
She called a cab to drive her down to the airport, feeling like an entirely different person. Now that the reality of her situation sank in, she also started to feel nervous.
She hadn’t spoken to Roman ever since she literally called him out of the blue to save her from danger, and after he had done just that, she didn’t even call to thank him. Alina huffed as the cab drove out of Yellowhaven, she would do that when she got to his mansion, she could be nice too. She would say her thanks, finish up their discussion and then be on her way.
-+-
Lou paced the length of the first floor living room, restless. She had stayed up the night before clearing out her workload and was unhappily jobless at the moment.
Iyla had returned to Silverfall because she needed to clear up some things before she came back and after spending several days with her, she felt her absence pretty badly. Sitting in her office felt like sitting on pins in a lava cave and her boss was at his sarcastic best, not letting this chance pass her by so her only option was to pace the living room until she got some work to do.
Like it was summoned, her pager pinged making her glance at it with a look of relief and see that it was a notification of a visitor. Before she could pick up and ask who it was, a loud commotion outside caught her attention, the commotion quickly walking right in.
“I don’t need approval to come in if Roman himself invited me here,” Alina’s sharp voice rang out as she strode in, slowing down when she caught sight of Lou. “And who the fuck are you?” She asked in a dangerous voice, walking confidently up to Lou who was easily taller than her although she was in heels.
Lou glanced down at herself in a muscle shirt and black cargo pants, holsters strapped to her chest and wondered what the problematic princess was going on about. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You should be sorry, Roman lives alone so I’d like to know who you are and what you’re doing here.” She repeated, not backing down.
Lou took a few seconds to process Alina’s words, although she didn’t appreciate the royal’s confrontational attitude, she could appreciate how much this dramatic entrance was distracting her from her lovesick state.
Alina’s nervous state during her flight left her strung up and irritable by the time the cab brought her to Roman’s mansion. It didn’t help that the security didn’t immediately let her in and instead insisted on contact Roman to ask for approval, and the icing on the top was coming into his mansion and finding a woman first thing.
Sure, Roman didn’t owe her anything but she knew well that he wasn’t with anyone and that he lived alone so why was there another woman in his mansion? Did he quickly get together with someone after agreeing to a contract mating with her? Why did that make her so upset? She certainly wasn’t jealous.
“His secretary, do you have an appointment with the boss?” Lou cocked a brow, looking unruffled at Alina’s claims.
Alina made a small haughty sound, lifting her nose in the air, “You don’t have to lie, I don’t care what you are to Roman.”
Lou nodded slowly, pitying her boss over what he had to deal with. “Sure… so you want to see Alpha Roman?” She repeated again.
“I just said you don’t have to keep up the ruse, are you trying to call me stupid?” Alina lashed out at her.
Lou just let out an exaperated sigh, already done with her. She brought out her phone and rang up Roman who was up in his home office, “Hey boss, could you come down to the first floor living room?”
She could hear Alpha Roman go quiet on the other end and she could picture him with a furrowed brow trying to figure out what she wanted. “Fine.” He said shortly, hanging up.
“Are you calling him to kick me out?” Alina got all up in Lou’s face, blatantly ignoring Lou referring to Roman as her ‘boss’.
Lou massaged her temples, she would take pining over Iyla than having to deal with the menace that was Alina Costin. She didn’t bother responding because she knew that Alina would just take everything she said out of context and twist it to suit her.
“For your information, we’re contracted to be mated, I don’t know if he told you that yet.”
Lou stepped forward at this point and stared the princess down, “I’m not interested in playing games with you, the boss will be here soon, you can save your whining for him.”
“How fucking dare you-” Alina lashed out with flashing her, lifting her hand to hit Lou.
Roman had just walked up at that point, he stepped up inbetween them and caught Alina’s wrist. “I don’t appreciate you harassing my second in command, Alina.” He said coldly, his ice blue eyes colder.
Lou just hotfooted it out of there, if Alpha Roman hadn’t shown up when he did, she had been ready to use some of her old wrestling moves on the mouthy princess.
Alina snatched her hand back and rolled her eyes, “How was I supposed to know who she was?”
Roman was certain Lou had introduced herself so he let that question slide down his back, “Why are you here?” He asked, his head tilted slightly.
Alina bit the inside of her cheek, unable to hold Roman’s stare, “To thank you for saving me and Madeline,” She mumbled, fiddling with her hands.
Roman’s eyes widened imperceptibly at this, genuinely surprised at Alina’s response. He looked at her properly for this first time and realized why she looked so strange, her hair was a deep brown instead of the usual shade she always wore.
“You didn’t have to come all the way here for that.”
Alina hmphed, crossing her arms, “Did you forget that we’re yet to discuss the clauses of our contract? Or are you backing out?” She looked at him this time, her dark eyes haughty.
“Is this coming from the person that said they were sick of the conversation when I tried to do just that?” Roman reminded, already craving a cigar less than a minute into their conversation.
“But now I’ve changed my mind, let’s talk.” She said loftily.
Roman gave her a wary look before accepting, “Fine, come with me.” He invited, leading the way up the stairs.
Alina quietly followed after him, her heels clicking softly on the stairs. She didn’t know why she was so nervous and it made her irritated because she didn’t like that Roman affected her that much.
She strode in like she owned the place when Roman opened a door for her and ushered her in, going right to one of the chairs placed opposite Roman’s seat behind a massive desk. She leaned back and crossed her legs, her skin smooth and flawless, her expression haughty.
“Would you like something to drink?” Roman asked to be polite.
“Yes, something sweet.” Alina was gracious enough to reply, wrapping slender manicured finger around the stem of the champagne glass that was offered her.
Roman settled behind his desk, he wasn’t looking forward to the discussion at all, jumping through the glass wall of his office was starting to look more and more enticing.
Alina took a sip of her ice cold champagne and placed the fragile glass on the silver tray with a sonorous clink, “We just say what we want and have a lawyer draw it up, right?”
“Yes,” Roman said calmly, wondering if Alina had decided to be reasonable but the fact that she had picked a fight with his easy going secretary first thing after she showed up made him think otherwise.
“Good, I’m not having your child.” She said immediately.
Roman shrugged, unbothered, “We’ll call this off after six months if we can’t agree.” He replied, not losing his calm.
Alina sputtered, “W-What? You can’t do that!”
“Why not?” Roman fixed hooded eyes on her.
Alina glanced down at her drink to give herself a break from his intimidating stare. “You already agreed to this.” She mumbled.
“That’s the only reason I’m still fucking here, besides we’re deciding on the clauses of the political mating, anything goes.” He countered.
“Then I agree to that!” She said, looking him straight in the eye confidently.
Roman just brought out his pen and made some notes, saying nothing to her words. “I don’t care if you decide to have other relationships while were mated… contractually.” He said, putting heavy emphasis on the last word.
Alina faltered at this, “I don’t care either.”
Roman shot her a look, doubting that but not having the energy to confront her about it. Alina was such a bad match for him and whatever child they would have would suffer greatly due to that, it was best they called it off before it was too late.
“You’re not obligated to me in any way, we’re no more than strangers with a similar goal…”
Alina shrank back the longer Roman went on, she didn’t know what she was thinking, maybe it was because he willingly saved her so many times that gave her a wrong idea. She had thought that she had some kind of hold over Roman but he sounded like he couldn’t wait to be rid of her. Was this because of that secretary of his?
Fine! She didn’t care about him or what he decided to do, she had only agreed to this because of her father. “As are you.” She said tartly, her drink long abandoned. “Is that the end of this?”
“If you want it to be, I have no other requirements but you’re free to add to it.” Roman said flippantly.
Alina shot to her feet at this, “I don’t have anything to add, can I leave now?” She grumbled, sounding like Roman was the one holding her hostage.
Roman gestured at the door, “Absolutely.”
This only served to anger Alina further, she stomped to the door wondering what Madeline saw in Roman to make her defend him and take his side over hers, he was such an asshole.
She remained in a cloud of rage as she made her way out of his mansion without a glance behind her, heading for the cab that she had made wait outside for her. She couldn’t believe that Roman had kicked her out after she had showed up politely to have a civil conversation with him.
She needed to tell Madeline everything and get some decent advice from her best friend. Maddie always knew the right thing to do, she also needed to rant a bit and Madeline was the best listener.